Flights scrapped at Marseille airport amid wildfire threat

Wildfire Forces Marseille Airport Closure, Threatens City Amid Intense Heatwave

A rapidly spreading wildfire, driven by strong winds, has led to the cancellation of all flights at Marseille's airport and is approaching France’s second-largest city, officials reported, while emergency crews across the Mediterranean fought multiple blazes ignited by extreme heat.

Authorities in the Provence-Alpes-Côtes d’Azur region issued an alert Tuesday, advising residents in Marseille's 16th district to stay inside, shut windows and doors, and use damp cloths around openings to reduce smoke exposure. Roads must remain clear for emergency vehicles, officials added.

Marseille’s city hall warned the fire was advancing, urging people to avoid outdoor activity and refrain from obstructing emergency routes while heeding official updates.

The airport halted operations around noon shortly after the fire broke out near Les Pennes-Mirabeau. Reports suggest the blaze began when a vehicle caught fire on the A552 highway. Flights to Brussels, Munich, and Naples were canceled, with diversions to Nice and Nîmes. Last year, Marseille Airport served nearly 11 million passengers.

Around 720 firefighters, aided by helicopters and water-dropping planes, battled the flames with 220 emergency vehicles. By late afternoon, roughly 350 hectares had burned.

No injuries were immediately reported, but two residential areas in Les Pennes-Mirabeau were evacuated as crews worked to protect a retirement home. Officials in Marseille’s 15th and 16th districts confirmed the fire was nearing the city’s outskirts, shrouding the area in dense smoke. Evacuation orders were being considered.

“It’s very dramatic—almost apocalyptic,” said Les Pennes-Mirabeau resident Monique Baillard, noting many neighbors had fled. Another resident, Jacqueline Revilla, described the smoke as intense and harsh.

With winds reaching 70 km/h, smoke reached central Marseille, and footage captured thick plumes billowing over the city’s edges. Three southern regions—Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, and Vaucluse—remain on the highest fire alert.

Forests across the area have been shut, and open flames, including barbecues and cigarettes, are banned near wooded zones. France sees an estimated 4,000 wildfires annually, mostly caused by human activity. Negligence leading to wildfires can result in prison sentences up to 10 years.

Meanwhile, near Narbonne, roughly 250 km west of Marseille, another fire has burned through 2,000 hectares, prompting partial closures on the A9 highway and multiple evacuations. The blaze, driven by 60 km/h winds, remains uncontrolled.